WSU survey: Dorm boozing still declining

UPCOMING CAMPUS EVENTS AND SCHEDULES
SAINT MARY'S	SOUTHEAST TECH	WINONA STATE

Police release names of Utica collision victims

Fatal collision occurred at stop sign

JILL TURACEK	KRIS TOVSON	JESSICA LARSON	RYAN BUHLER	MICHAEL FISCHER	DAN STETS
TOMORROW'S GREATEST BYLINES TODAY

Ventura aide: 49% rating isn't a suprise

Prof: Class attendance a precursor to job performance

SKIPPING CLASS ATTENDANCE POLICY SURVEY A CYBERINDEE SERIES GOLDIE JOHNSON WSU ENGLISH

WINONA, Minn., Feb. 11, 2002 -- A Winona State University English prof who teaches both literature and writing, Goldie Johnson, believes that class attendance is essential to learning. Class discussion is where much can be learned through the professor and classmates, Johnson said. Profs need to have an attendance policy to ensure that students show up to class, and so "that students see that professors care about them being there," she said. What about chronic skippers? "Usually I don't have those students," said Johnson. "They know from Day One the expectations." Although Johnson has a reputation as strict on attendance, she says that "there are circumstances -- deaths, illness, family illness -- that are understandable. What about her seating charts? Those are "mainly for a selfish reason," to learn the names of students, she said. In Johnson's classes, attendance can hurt or help a student's grade: When it comes time for final grades, most profs look to see if a student has consistently attended, she said. If the student has a borderline grade, a good attendance record can help that individual, because it shows that the student cared enough to attend class faithfully she said. Johnson believes that attendance correlates with the outside world. What a student learns during college, including class attendance, may directly affect work habits on the job, she said. Reporter: Katie Jensen Other installments: Jane Carducci, WSU English prof Dave Robinson, WSU English prof